Part 1. Caesar's things -- I came, I saw, I published -- Show me the money -- The Nero unreality show -- Part 2. Icons and iconoclasts -- Secrets and lies -- PR men in the monasteries -- Bonfires of vanities -- Part 3. Twilight of the icons -- Selling indulgences -- Lèse Majesté -- Coffee and cake -- Part 4. Empire of lies -- All the news that's fit to fake -- Bismarck's fake news -- To hell with Spain -- Part 5. Supermen, supermyths, superpowers -- The gun that killed the Hun -- Triumph of the will -- Shaken, not stirred -- Part 6. The war on truth -- Guardians of the truth -- The digital town square -- Lord of the lies -- Conclusion.
Summary:
"From the ancient Greeks and Romans to the modern era, how have people determined what is true? How have those with power and influence sought to control the narrative? Are we living in a post-truth era, or is that notion simply the latest attempt to control the narrative? The relationship between truth and power is the key theme. Moving through major historical periods, the author focuses on notable people and events, from well-known leaders like Julius Caesar and Adolf Hitler to lesser-known individuals like Procopius and Savonarola. He notes distinct parallels in history to current events. Julius Caesar's publication of his Gallic Wars and Civil Wars was an early exercise in political spin not unlike what we see today. During the English Civil War and the Enlightenment, pamphleteering coupled with the new power of the printing press challenged the status quo, as online and social media does in our time. And "fake news" was already being used by German chancellor Otto von Bismarck in nineteenth-century Europe and by the "yellow journalism" of American newspaper magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer near the turn of the twentieth century. The author concludes optimistically, noting that we are debating and discussing truth more fiercely today than in any previous era. The determination to arrive at the truth, despite the manipulations of the powerful, bodes well for the future of democracy"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.